Hail catcher and deliverer



G. BURTON.

MAIL CATCHER AND DELIVEREFI.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 6, I916- Patented Aug. 22,1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

b in

WITNESSES ATTOR NEY G. BURTON.

MAIL CATCHER AND DELIVERER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 6,1916.

1 1 95,439, Patented Aug. 22, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR WITNESSES 4 M ATTOR N EY G. BURTON.

MAIL CATCHER AND DELIVERER.

APPUCATION FILED MAY 6. 9H3- Pavtented Aug. 22, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 31 INVENTOR WITNESSES ATTORNEY ans (EFT/GE.

' MAIL CATCI-IEB. AND DELIVERER.

Application filed May 6, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, GRANT BURTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Stapleton, in the county of Baldwin and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail Catchers and Deliverers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to certain new and useful improvements in mail catchers and deliverers and has for its primary object, the provision of an apparatus of this character which will be of improved construction in operation as Well as highly efficient in use.

The invention has for another object the provision of a mail bag catching and delivering apparatus which will be of such construction and operation as to securely lock in position the mail bag carried by the car until the mechanism supporting the mail bag engages the receiving mechanism mounted to one side of the track.

The invention has for another object, the provision of a mail bag receiving and delivering mechanism which will be of such construction and operation as to make it necessary for the releasing arms to engage the receiving mechanism positioned by the track, before the mail bag may be removed I from the car.

The invention has for a further object, the provision of an improved mail bag receiving and delivering apparatus of the above stated character, in which the mail bag carried by the car may be suspended between two swinging arms which are in turn resiliently retained in operative position and locked against movement until the crossed releasing arms are operated by the receiving mechanism.

The invention has for a further object, the provision of a mail bag receiving and clelivering mechanism of this character in which will be included novel and improved locking means for the supporting arms of the mail bag supporting and delivering mechanism and also an improved form of reversible mail bag grabbing means for co operation with supporting means and a mail bag receiving or grabbing member reversibly mounted upon the supporting means to one side of the track.

A still further object of the invention re- .sides in the provision of a mail bag 'iY Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 22, 1916.

Serial No. 95,885.

ing and delivering apparatus of this character which will be of simple construction and operation as well as highly efficient in use and especially adapted for service in connection with rapidly moving cars.

With the above and other objects in view, the inventionresides in the novel constructron, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more specifically set forth, pointed out in the appended claims and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the complete device'in use, Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the mechanism carried by the car, partly in section, Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the same, partly in section, Fig. 4- is a detail section on the line 4l l of Fig. 3, looking in the direction indicated by the arrow, Fig. is a similar view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3, Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view on the plane of line 66 of Fig. 3, Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view on the plane of line 7--7 of Fig. 3, with the device in locked condr tion, Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7, showing the parts in unlocked position, Fig. 9 is a plan of the reversible member carried by the stationary catcher and the mounting for said reversible member, Fig. 10 is a front elevation of the same, and, Fig. 11 is a detail section on the plane of line 11l1 of Fig. 9.

Referring particularly to the drawings in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views 1 designates the bracket arms adapted to be secured to one side of the door frame 2 of a mail car, said bracket arms 1 having offset free ends 3 within which are mounted the upper and lower ends of a supv porting standard l. Secured to the upper portion of the supporting standard 4: and projecting at right angles from the same, is a supporting arm 5, the purpose of which will presently appear.

Rotatably mounted in the supporting standard 4, are the upper and lower rotary shafts 6 which also have bearings in the supporting posts 7 and 8 depending from the supporting arm 5. An additional supporting post 9 is provided for the outer end of the lower rotary shaft 6. The supporting posts 8 and 9 are in alinement with one another, as will be readily seen by referring to Fig. 3 of the drawings, and said supporting posts 8 and 9 connected with the supporting post 7 and the supporting standard 41 by suitable horizontal brace members to hold said posts 8 and 9 in proper position. The inner upper and lower turn shafts 11 are also rotatably mounted in the posts 8 and 9 respectively and in the post 7 and standard 4-, as will be readily understood by referring to the drawing. 7

The mail bag supporting arms 12 are mounted in the outer ends of the upper and lower rotary shafts 6 and extend at an angle to the same, the upper and lower mail bag supporting arms 12 respectively being normally directed upwardly and downwardly as well as rearwardly and provided with suitable mail bag ring engaging mem bers 13 upon their free ends. The arms 12 are resiliently retained in normal position by means of the spring 14: which connects the free ends of the converging arms 15 directed forwardly from the inner ends of said upper and lower rotary shafts G.

The rock shafts 11 have the curved latch arms 16 which have their free ends normally overlapped and directed toward the mail bag 17 suspended upon the hooks 13, said overlapped free ends of the latch arm 16 being designated by the numeral 18. It will be understood that the curved latch arms 17 are extended forwardly and then curved back toward the mail bag 17 so as to cross one another in front of the central portion of said mail bag 17. This will be readily understood by referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings.

The supporting standard 4 has a front extension plate 19 to which is secured by suitable hinges 20 the hinged locking plate 21 resiliently retained at right-angles to the extension 19 by means of a suitable spring 22 secured at one end to said hinged locking plate 21 and at its opposite end to the sup porting standard 1. The hinged locking plate is provided in its inner face near its opposite ends with the socket 23 to receive the locking lugs 2 1 projecting laterally from the upper and lower shafts 6, adjacent the inner ends of the latter. It will be seen that when the hinged locking bar 21 is in normal position, the upper and lower shafts (5 will be locked in normal position to prop erly support the mail bag 17 rearwardly of the crossed latch arms 16, as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

The inner, upper and lower rock shafts 11 are provided, near their inner ends with the releasing fingers 25 which project laterally from said shafts 11 and are provided with substantially cam shaft working ends 26 engaged with the inner face of the hinged locking plate 21. The releasing fingers 25 carried by the upper and lower shafts 11 respectively are directed upwardly and downwardly for a purpose which will presently appear, and said releasing fingers 25 are resiliently retained in normal position by suitable springs 27 secured thereto and fastened to the horizontal brace members 10, as will be readily understood by referring to Figs. 7 and 8 of the drawings.

The inner, upper and lowerrock shafts 11 also have projecting radially therefrom between the supporting standard 4: and the supporting post 7, the spacing fingers 28 which have their outer ends engaged against the converging arms 15, as clearly shown in Fig. 5,to support said arms 15 in proper spaced relation with the inner, upper and lower shafts 11, and also retain the mail bag supporting arms 12 in normal position. Suitable springs 29 serve to connect the spacing fingers 28 with a stationary pin 30 extended between the supporting standard 4 and the supporting post 7. It will be seen that when the shafts 6 and 11 are in normal position and the latch arms 16 are crossed, as shown in Figs. 7 and 1 respectively, the spring 1r will be under tension while the springs 22, 27 and 29 will be practically at rest. Upon separation of the releasing arms 16 and rearwardly swinging movement of the same to cause a counter-clock-wise rotation of the inner, upper and lower shafts 11, the springs 27 and 29 will be expanded and the releasing fingers 25 will be caused to force the hinged locking plate 21 to swing outwardly upon its hinges 20 to inoperative position bringing the spring 22 under tension. The spring 14 then acts, as the lugs 24: are released from the sockets 23, to draw the free ends of the converging arms 15 toward one another and thereby swing the mail bag supporting arms 12 away from one another as the mail bag is withdrawn from the same.

The springs 27, 29 and 22 will act to return to normal position the inner, upper and lower shafts 11 and parts carried thereby, and also the hinged locking plate 21 as a new mail bag is placed upon the mail bag supporting arm 12 and the rear ends of the latter drawn toward one another, the spring 14 expanding sufliciently to exert the inward strain upon the free ends of said arms 15 and thereby assure suflicient spreading of the mail bag supporting arms 12 to securely hold the mail bag upon the latter.

Secured upon the supporting arm 5 is a pivoted supporting bracket 31, in the forward portion of which is pivotally mounted as shown at 32, the outwardly directed arm 33 which has an angularly directed arm 34 secured thereto, adjacent the inner end of said arm 33 by providing an enlargement 35 upon the inner end of said arm 34 and securing the same in a socket 36 provided for this purpose in one side of said arm 33. The arms 33 and 34 are adapted to cooperate in grabbing a mail bag from a support by the side of the track, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. A suitable clamping spring 37 is secured by its forward end to the inner side of the arm 33 adjacent the beveled free end 38 of said arm 33, the rear end of the spring 37 being engaged through a slot 39 provided for the same in the inner end of said arm 34. The spring 37 is also provided with an offset substantially semi-circular clamping portion 40 resting in the arcuate pocket 41 formed in the adjacent sides of the arms 33 and 34 at the point of connection of the same. The normal position of the spring 37 is shown in Fig. 2 and it will be evident that as the arms 33 and 34 pass around the opposite sides of the central portion of a suspended mail bag as indicated in Fig. l to withdraw the same from a stationary support, the spring 37 will be caused to swing in the slot 39, moving the opposite substantially semi-circular portion 40 of said spring in the pocket 41 until the central portion of the mail bag reaches a position opposite said offset semi-circular portion 40, when the spring 37 will automatically return to normal position and clamp the mail bag in said semi-circular portion 40 of the spring 37 and the pocket 41.

The pivoted arm 33 is provided with a bifurcated slotted rear end 42 to provide the ears 43 having corresponding slots 44 formed in their rear faces to accommodate the pin 45 carried by the locking lever 46 which is pivoted, as shown at 47 in the rear portion 48 of vthe bracket 31. The locking lever '46 is resiliently retained in operative position by the springs 49 connected with the pin 45 and the pivot pin 32 of the arm 33, to lock the latter in extended horizontal position. It will be readily seen however, that the locking lever 46 may be readily swung upon its pivot pin 47 to inoperative position when it is desired to release the arm 33 and permit the latter together with the arm 34 and spring 37 to swing downwardly against the protecting and reinforcing plate 50 carried by the supporting arm 5.

In connection with the apparatus to be carried by the car, as above described, I prefer to employ an ordinary supporting post 51 having the upper arm 52 and lower arm 53 projecting from the same toward the track, the post 51 being secured in the ground in any suitable and well-known manner. The upper arm 52 is braced by a suitable diagonal brace bar 54 and a mail bag 55 is adapted to be supported between the arms 52 and 53 by suitable supporting hooks 56, as will be evident by referring to Fig, 1 of the drawings. Of course it will be understood that I prefer to employ a form of supporting hook 56 which may be readily reversed, so that the mail bag 55 may be easily withdrawn by the apparatus carried by a car moving in either direction. The supporting arm 53 is preferably hinged to the post 51, as shown at 57 and resiliently &

retained in normal position by means of a spring 58 connecting the same with said post 51. Mounted transversely upon the lower supporting arm 53 at a suitable distance from the free end of the same, is a transverse bar 59 to which is pivoted the swinging arm 60 carrying the angularly extended arm 61, secured to the arm 60 in a suitable manner as shown in 62. The arms 60 and 61 are pref erablyformed similar to the arms 33 and 34, previously described, and provided with the clamping spring 63 secured to the arm 60, projecting through the slot 64 in the arm 61, said spring 63 being also provided with an offset clamping portion 65 within the pocket 66 formed in the adjacent sides of the arms 60 and 61. It will be evident that the arm 60 may be readily turned upon the cross arm 59 to project in either direction parallel with said cross arm 59. It will also be understood that the latch arms 16 are engaged by the arms 60 and 61 and the spring 63 previous to engagement of the mail bag 17 with the spring 63, during operation of the complete device.

The arms 60 may be readily locked in either position by means of the reciprocating latch pins 67 sli dably engaged in the longitudinal slots 68 of the cross arm 59 and adapted for engagement over the pin 70 projecting from one side of the arm 60 and adapted to rest in the transverse pockets '71 formed in the ends of said cross arm 59. Connected loosely to the inner end of each latch pin 67 is one end of a pivoted depending lever 72 as shown at 73, the lever 72 beipg pivoted in the cross arm 59, as shown at 4.

From the foregoing it will be readily apparent that this form of mail bag catcher and deliverer may be employed upon ears traveling at a high rate of speed and will be highly efficient and positive in operation.

lVhile the preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it

will be understood that minor changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention or the advantages of the same.

What is claimed is 1. A mail bag deliverer and receiver comprising mail bag supporting members, crossed latch arms connected with said mail bag supporting members, means for retaining said mail bag supporting members in normal position, and means for separating said crossed latch arms to release said mail bag supporting members.

sacrificing any of s .LsU

2. A mail bag deliverer and receiver C0111 prising rotary members, mail bag supporting members carried by said rotary members, means for locking said rotary members in normal position, crossed latch arms con- &

neoted with said rotary members, and means to swing said crossed latch arms in opposite direction to release said rotary members.

3. A mall bag deliverer and receiver comprising supporting means adapted to be mounted upon a car, rotary members mounted in said supporting means in spaced relation, diverging mail bag supporting arms carried by said rotary members, means for preventing rotation of such rotary members, and crossed latch arms adapted to be separated to release said rotary members.

4:. A mail bag deliverer and receiver comprising a supporting frame, rotary members mounted in said supporting frame, mail bag supporting arms carried by said rotary members, a second set of rotary members, crossed latch members carried by the second mentioned set of rotary members, means carried by the first mentioned and second mentioned rotary members to prevent independent rotation of the first mentioned rotary members, means for normally retaining the second mentioned rotary members against rotation, and means for separating said crossed latch members to release said second set of rotary members and permit rotation of said first mentioned rotary members.

5. A mail bag deliverer and receiver comprising a pair of turn shafts, means for supporting said turn shafts, means for locking said turn shafts against rotation, mail bag supporting means carried by said turn shafts, a second pair of turn shafts mounted in said supporting means, latch members mounted on said second pair of turn shafts and adapted for engagement with a stationary object to cause rotation of said second mentioned turn shafts, and means carried by said second mentioned turn shafts for releasing said first mentioned turn shafts.

6. A mail bag deliverer and catcher comprising turn shafts, diverging mail bag supporting arms mounted upon said turn shafts, means for supporting said turn shafts, means for locking said turn shafts in one position, means for releasing said locking means, means for causing rotation of said turn shafts when released, and means mounted on said supporting means to receive a mail bag.

7. A mail bag deliverer and catcher comprising a standard, means for securing said standard to a car, a supporting frame mounted on said standard, upper and lower rotary shafts mounted in said supporting frame, mail bag supporting arms projecting radially from one end of said upper and lower shafts, oppositely extended arms projeeting radially from the opposite ends of said shafts, the first mentioned arms being adapted to suspend therebetween a mail bag, resilient connections between the second mentioned arms to retain said mail bag in proper position, means for locking said rotary shafts against rotation, means for releasing said rotary shafts and permitting Withdrawal of the mail bag, and mail bag receiving means carried by said supporting means. I

8. A mail bag deliverer andcatcher comprising supporting means, means for securing said supporting means to a car, rotary shafts mounted on said supporting means, means for supporting a mail bag, said mail bag supporting means being carried by said rotary shafts, arms mounted upon said rotary shafts, means for resiliently connecting said arms, lockingmeans for said rotary shafts, a second pair of rotary shafts,crossed latch arms carried by said second mentioned rotary shafts, cam releasing members mounted on said second mentioned rotary shafts to release said locking means upon sepa 'z tion of said crossed latch arms, means for resiliently returning said locking means to normal position, means for resiliently returning said second mentioned rotary shafts to normal position, and mail bag catching mechanism mounted upon said supporting means.

9. A mail bag deliverer and receiver comprising rotary shafts, mail bag supporting arms mounted on said shafts, supporting means for said shafts, additional shafts mounted in said supporting means, locking means for the first mentioned shafts, crossed latch arms for said additional shafts, releasing members carried by said additional shafts for engagement with said locking means to move the latter into inoperative position upon rotation of said additional shafts, and mail bag receiving means mount ed upon said supporting means.

10. A mail bag deliverer and receiver comprising rotary shafts having diverging mail bag supporting arms and converging arms, resilient connections between said converging arms to cause rotation of said shafts in one direction, means for locking said shafts against rotation, supporting means for said shafts, additional shafts carried by said supporting means, latch arms carried by said additional shafts, means carried by said additional shafts for releasing said locking means upon engagement with said latch arms with a stationary object. means for resillently retaining said additional shafts in normal position, and mail bag receiving means mounted upon said supporting means.

11. A mail bag deliverer and receiver comprising stationary supporting means, means for securing said stationary supporting means to a car, means for receiving a mail bag, means for supporting said receiving means in operative position upon the first mentioned supporting means, rotary shafts, mail bag supporting means mounted upon. said rotary shafts, lugs projecting from said rotary shafts, a hinged locking plate provided with sockets, means for resiliently retaining said locking plate in operative position with the lugs engaged in said sockets to prevent rotation of said shafts, additional shafts mounted in said first mentioned supporting means, latch arms carried by said additional shafts for causing rotation of the latter upon engagement of said latch arms with a stationary object during movement of the car, and means carried by said additional shafts for swinging said hinged look ing plate to inoperative position.

12. A mail bag deliverer and receiver comprising rotary shafts, means for supporting said rotary shafts upon the car, means for normally preventing rotation of said shafts, arms projecting radially from said shafts for supporting a mail bag in vertical. position, crossed latch members having connection with the means for preventing rotation of said shafts, and means for supporting said crossed latch members to permit rotation of said shafts.

13. A mail bag deliverer and receiver comprising pairs of rotary shafts, means for mounting said shafts upon a car, means carried by certain of said shafts for support ing a mail bag in vertical position, means for locking said certain shafts in operative position, a stationary support, a mail bag receiving member mounted on said stationary support to receive said mail bag, and means carried by the remaining shafts for engagement with said mail bag receiving member to release the first mentioned shafts.

14. A mail bag deliverer and receiver comprising a plurality of rod shafts, means for mounting said shafts upon a car, means projecting from said shafts to support a mail bag, means for preventing rotation of said shafts, a second set of shafts, crossed latch members carried by the second set of shafts, means to prevent rotation of the first mentioned shafts while said mentioned shafts are stationary, means for separating said latch members to rotate said second set of shafts and release the first mentioned shafts, and means to support the last men tioned means.

15. A mail. bag deliverer and receiver comprising a pair of shafts, supporting means for said shafts, a second pair of shafts mounted in said supporting means, mail supporting arms carried by the said first mentioned shafts, oppositely directed latch members carried by said second mentioned shafts, a stationary support positioned in the path of said latch members, said latch members being adapted to be separated by said stationary support, and means carried by said stationary support for receiving a mail bag from said mail bag supporting means.

16. A mail bag deliverer and receiver Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the comprising the combination with mail bag supporting means mounted upon a car, including supporting shafts, rearwardly directed mail bag supporting members carried by, certain of said shafts, crossed forwardly directed and rearwardly curved latch arms carried by the remaining shafts, locking means for the first mentioned shafts, releasing members mounted upon the second mentioned shafts, of a stationary support, and a member mounted upon said stationary support for separating said latch arms and withdrawing the mail bag from said. mail bag receiving members.

17. A mail bag deliverer and receiver comprising the combination with mail bag supporting means mounted upon a car, including supporting shafts, rearwardly directed mail bag supporting members carried by certain of said shafts, crossed forwardly directed and rearwardly curved latch arms carried by the remaining shafts, locking means for the first mentioned shafts, and releasing members mounted upon the second mentioned shafts, of a stationary support, and a member mounted upon said stationary support for separating said latch arms and withdrawing the mail bag from said mail bag supporting means, said stationary suppoit including a rigid arm and a resiliently held pivoted arm, and a mail bag receiving member mounted upon the last mentioned arm.

18. A mail bag deliverer and receiver comprising the combination with mail bag supporting means mounted upon a car, including supporting shafts, rearwardly (lirectcd mail bag supporting members can ried by certain of said shafts, crossed for wardly directed and rearwardly curved latch arms carried by the remaining shafts, locking means for the first mentioned shafts, and releasing members mounted upon the second mentioned shafts, of a stationary support, and a member mounted upon said stationary support for separating said latch arms and withdrawing the mail bag from said mail bag supporting means, said stationary support including upper and lower arms, means for suspending a mail bag be tween said upper and lower arms, said mail bag receiving member being mounted upon said lower arm, and a mail bag receiving member mounted upon said car to receive the second mentioned mail bag.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GRANT BURTON.

Witnesses A. J. Gnna'rrronsn, her

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 6. 

